Three’s a Crowd

by Dianne Blacklock

  ‘We should all go out to dinner one night, and I am including Lexie in this, you’ll be pleased to know. But not the children. I’m talking about a sophisticated, adult night out, with partners.’

  ‘And you want to ask Tom along?’

  ‘That’s right. And your Matthew.’

  Jesus Christ. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, Catherine.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Because Matthew was the love child of a carpet square and the label off a wine bottle.

  ‘Well, don’t you see?’ Rachel began, trying to think of a way out of this. ‘You want to include Tom in the group . . . but he’ll be like the third wheel, or actually the seventh wheel, which is not going to make him feel included, it will probably only make him feel worse.’

  ‘Oh, but I haven’t explained the whole scenario,’ said Catherine. ‘Martin is going overseas on business shortly, for at least a couple of weeks, so I thought that would be the perfect time to do it. You know what it’s like when Martin and Scott get together, it’s all food talk, I don’t think Tom has ever really fitted in with them. So with Martin away, and your Matthew in his place – another lawyer, in fact – it will be a completely new dynamic. And we’ll be an even six, Tom won’t be the odd one out, I’ll be his partner!’

  Rachel was dumbfounded. She couldn’t imagine how Tom was going to take it.

  ‘Well, um . . . I don’t know, I have to see if Matt is free. He’s a very busy person.’

  ‘For godsakes Rachel, why do you think I’m calling you a couple of weeks in advance? We’ve got a lot of busy people to coordinate, but I have a range of dates, so I’m confident we’ll find something to suit everyone.’

  Great. ‘Okay,’ she said weakly.

  ‘So do you have a pen? I’ll give you the dates. You talk to your Matthew, and I’ll call Lexie, and Tom, and we’ll narrow it down. This is completely doable, Rachel.’

  Oh, it really wasn’t.

  Catherine pulled her car into the garage and turned off the engine. Today had been a good day, and she was quite charged about her plan. A drink was certainly in order. She gathered up her things and walked through into the house. Martin was sitting reading the paper at the dining-room table, a glass of red and a small bowl of olives at his elbow.

  ‘You haven’t started dinner?’ she enquired. She was feeling quite upbeat, so she stooped to give him a kiss on the cheek as she placed her briefcase down on the floor.

  He turned his head slowly to look at her. ‘I wasn’t sure what time you’d be home, and Alice wasn’t interested. She’s eaten already.’

  ‘Not instant noodles again, Martin?’ she chided.

  ‘It’s all she’ll eat.’

  ‘That doesn’t mean you should let her have them.’ Catherine crossed over to the cabinet to get a glass. ‘You shouldn’t buy them in the first place.’

  Martin sat back in his chair. ‘I only buy them because you put them on the list when we run out and she complains. Do you want me to ignore that in future?’

  Hmm, he was in a mood. Catherine poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle on the counter. ‘Do you want a top-up?’

  ‘Yes, thank you,’ he said.

  She carried the bottle over and handed it to him, before taking a seat opposite. She took a long drink. Red was not her preferred drop, but it would do for now. She’d open a bottle of white after this.

  ‘I suppose she’s been up in her room all afternoon?’

  He nodded, topping up his own glass.

  ‘And she won’t be doing any study,’ said Catherine. ‘She’ll be on MSN, or Facebook, or whatever, wasting time.’

  Martin shrugged disinterestedly.

  ‘This grounding is not going to have the desired effect if she can just hole up in her room, connected with all of her friends anyway.’

  He met her eyes directly. ‘You have given her internet access, a television, a mobile phone, what do you expect?’

  Catherine frowned. ‘She needs the internet for her homework.’

  ‘And the television?’

  ‘Well, I’m certainly not going to watch the tripe she wants to watch down here on the main set.’

  ‘So, what are you going to do?’ he dismissed with another disinterested shrug.

  Catherine considered him. ‘What are you so stroppy about?’

  He sighed. ‘You’re always complaining that she spends too much time in her room, online, so do something about it. Restrict her access.’

  ‘How am I supposed to do that? We have wireless internet, she can access it anywhere in the house.’

  ‘You’re a strong woman, Catherine, I’m sure you could impose sanctions, you just have to be prepared to enforce them.’

  Catherine shook her head with a snigger. ‘She’s grounded for the entire term, have you forgotten? I think I know how to handle my own daughter.’

  ‘Then don’t bring me into it,’ he said squarely.

  ‘Fine, duly noted. What is wrong with you this evening, Martin?’

  He sighed, picking up his glass. ‘Problems at work.’

  That was a bore. She hoped he wasn’t going to go on about them, but she supposed she should ask at least.

  ‘Anything major?’

  ‘Major doesn’t begin to describe –’

  ‘Just get to the point, would you, Martin?’ she said, feeling a little uneasy.

  ‘That merger looks like collapsing,’ he said flatly.

  ‘Which merger is that?’

  ‘The reason I was going to Singapore next month.’

  Catherine’s face dropped. ‘Is the trip off?’

  ‘More than likely, the way things are going.’

  ‘Well that’s no way to deal with it. You obviously need to go over there in person and do something.’

  ‘Catherine, I’m not a rainmaker, you know that. I’m the guy who sorts out the details. At this stage, there will be no details to sort out. And what’s worse, if this fails, things aren’t looking good for the firm.’

  Catherine cared less about the firm than she did about a week or two with Martin out of her hair. ‘I think you should insist. Take a delegation over there, show them some balls.’

  ‘It’s not that simple, Catherine. I’m more concerned about what’s going to happen if things keep going the way they’re headed. We rely on the growth of these major markets, and the markets are collapsing like dominoes.’

  Catherine certainly didn’t need this downer, she’d been having a good day up until now. She stood up. ‘You’re with one of the major consulting firms on the planet, Martin, it’s not going under. You’re always such a pessimist.’

  And with that she walked smartly over to the fridge and took out a bottle of white. She picked up a fresh glass from the cupboard and headed for the terrace. ‘Excuse me, I have to make a call.’

  Lexie had everything set when the phone rang. No, don’t let it be him! She picked up the phone on the second ring, not wanting it to wake the kids.

  ‘Hello?’ she said urgently.

  ‘Hello Lexie, Catherine here.’

  She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Oh, hi Catherine. How are you?’

  ‘I’m just fine, thanks,’ she returned. ‘I’m calling about making a date to get together.’

  Lexie wondered if that was Scott’s car now. She walked up the hall, listening. ‘What was that you said? A date?’

  ‘Yes. You were absolutely right that we have to take care of Tom now, include him, make him feel part of the group.’

  ‘Uhuh.’ Lexie opened the front door and peered out. It wasn’t Scott after all.

  ‘So, I’m giving everyone plenty of notice, and I’m going to book somewhere really special for us all to go out to dinner.’

  Lexie leaned against the doorjamb. ‘How special?’ she said warily. Special usually meant expensive, in Catherine-speak, and the last thing she needed right now was to give Scott another thing to feel anxious about. She could picture him, sitting in a swanky restaurant, sta
ring at the prices on the menu, trying not to hyperventilate.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Catherine. ‘There are quite a few affordable restaurants I have in mind. I just want to make it nice for Tom. For all of us.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘So I’m hoping to organise it for a couple of weeks’ time.’

  Lexie didn’t answer, there was a car turning into the street.

  ‘Are you still there, Lexie?’

  It was Scott this time. She flew inside, closing the door. ‘Um, yes, I’m here, but I have to go, Catherine.’

  ‘All right, just let me give you these dates.’

  Jeez. ‘Can you put them in an email?’ said Lexie.

  ‘You don’t always read my emails, Lexie.’

  She always read them, she just didn’t always answer them. ‘I promise I’ll check, Catherine. Put all the details in an email and I’ll get back to you, I promise.’

  ‘Okay then.’

  ‘I have to go, bye,’ she said, hanging up. She scooted down the hall and put the phone back in its base. On second thoughts, she picked it up again and switched it to silent. She didn’t want them to be disturbed. If someone really needed to get in touch, if it was really important, like a family emergency, they’d try their mobiles. Lexie dashed over to the table and lit the two taper candles, just as she heard Scott’s key in the front door. She smoothed out her hair and her skirt, and stood up straight with a big smile, facing towards the hall and the front door. It swung open and Scott appeared in the doorway. He didn’t look up as he stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. But then something must have seemed amiss. No little feet running to meet him, soft music drifting in from the living room, dim lighting. He peered down the hall, and Lexie beamed back at him.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ he said, as he walked tentatively towards her.

  She gave a coy shrug as he came all the way into the room. She had already lit dozens of candles around the room; the table was set with flowers, their good crockery and crystal glasses; dinner was in the oven, and champagne was chilling in an ice bucket.

  ‘Oh shit!’ Scott exclaimed.

  That wasn’t the response Lexie was hoping for.

  ‘Have I forgotten our anniversary?’ he asked.

  She smiled then, walking up to him and taking his hands in hers. ‘Honey, it’s only March, we were married in September.’

  ‘Oh, yeah, that’s right,’ he sighed out. ‘Well I know it’s not your birthday –’

  ‘Scott, do we need a special occasion to have a nice, adult night together, just the two of us?’

  He smiled sheepishly. ‘Yeah, these days we do. Where are the kids, by the way?’

  ‘They’re already in bed. Riley had swimming lessons after school, and he’s always so tired after that, and Mia didn’t get her afternoon nap, so they were both falling asleep in their dinner. Don’t be cross.’

  ‘Why would I be cross?’

  ‘Well, not getting to see them.’

  He gazed down at her with a look in his eyes she hadn’t seen in a while. ‘You look beautiful, Lex,’ he said, leaning closer. ‘And you smell beautiful.’ He sighed. ‘And I smell like a kitchen, and I’m all grimy.’

  ‘Go,’ she said, ‘have a shower, take your time, relax.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ he said, glancing across to the kitchen. ‘Something smells good over there as well.’

  ‘It’ll keep,’ she insisted. ‘Go on, take a shower and get out of your work clothes, you’ll feel better.’

  This was all going exactly to plan, Lexie was thrilled. She’d put enough thought into it. She had rung Josh this afternoon to make sure there had been no last-minute hitches and that they would be finishing up at a reasonable time. She didn’t put Mia down for a nap, which meant she had to enlist Riley to help keep her awake when she started dozing off in the car seat on the way home from swimming lessons. She wanted to make absolutely sure both of the children would go off to bed early, and they wouldn’t hear from them again.

  When Scott came back down the stairs, he was wearing one of his best collared shirts and the jeans Lexie had bought him for Christmas.

  ‘Look at you,’ she said with a little swoon.

  ‘Well, I wanted to look good for my girl.’ He drew her into his arms. ‘This was a really nice idea, Lexie, we don’t get enough time together.’

  ‘No, we don’t,’ she murmured as his lips came down on hers and her insides dissolved. He still had it. But there would be plenty of time for all that later, for now she had to stay on task.

  She stepped back to look at him. ‘Would you like to open the champagne while I serve dinner?’

  Lexie had decided to attempt a rather complicated French recipe which involved slow-cooking a piece of beef for most of the day. Sweets were really her specialty, but she always enjoyed a challenge.

  ‘This looks amazing, Lexie,’ Scott remarked once they were sitting at the table, their glasses full, their meals in front of them.

  ‘I get a little nervous cooking for you,’ she admitted.

  ‘What do you mean?’ he asked. ‘You cook for me all the time.’

  ‘Hmm, but you usually do the special stuff.’

  He cut into the meat and tasted it. ‘It’s fantastic,’ he pronounced.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Really.’

  She smiled widely. ‘So, how’s work?’

  ‘We don’t want to talk about that.’

  ‘Yeah, we do,’ Lexie said firmly. ‘And that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about.’

  He met her eyes then. ‘What are you saying?’

  ‘I want to talk about the business, Scott.’

  ‘Let’s not spoil such a lovely night.’

  ‘We don’t have to spoil it. I just want to know what’s going on. I’m your wife, I want to share it with you. Now, the kids aren’t around, and we’ve got a nice meal in front of us, and a glass of wine, so don’t you spoil it by having a pout.’

  He took a deep breath in and out. ‘All right. What do you want to know?’

  ‘Well, have you heard any more about the rent going up?’

  ‘The owner’s got his accountant checking the books before he makes a decision.’

  She nodded. ‘Okay, so have you thought about what you’ll do if he does decide to increase it?’

  ‘Lexie, I really don’t want to worry you with this.’

  ‘Scott, please, I want to know.’

  He shrugged. ‘We might have to open seven days, Lex.’

  ‘No,’ she said flatly. ‘That’s not an option. You cannot work seven days a week, Scott, we’ll have no family life. It’s not acceptable.’

  ‘We might not have a choice.’

  ‘There’s always a choice.’ She took a breath. ‘I could go out to work.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘But if things are that bad, it’s a better alternative than you working seven days,’ she insisted.

  ‘But I don’t want you to have to go to work while the kids are young.’

  She glared at him. ‘How very 1950s of you, Scott. So you’d rather I’m alone in the house with the kids, seven days a week, scrubbing floors –’

  ‘No,’ he said, raising his voice. ‘For Chrissakes, Lexie, I wish you didn’t have to do any of that.’

  ‘Scott, you have to stop treating me like I’m some fragile china doll.’

  ‘I know you’re not fragile, I was in the room when you gave birth, remember?’ He gazed at her across the table. ‘You’re the strongest person I know, Lexie.’

  She stared at him. ‘Me? You think I’m strong?’

  He nodded. ‘You grew up with everything, and you gave it all up to be with me. You moved into this little house, we had no money, you patched things together and painted and put up with crap, and you never complained. You’re always so happy. And I know that all you want to be is a mum, it’s more important to you than anything. I can’t give you a big house, Lexie, and trips overseas, but if I work
hard I can at least give you that, the chance to live your life the way you want to.’

  Lexie’s heart felt so full she thought it might burst.

  ‘Oh, Scott,’ she said, getting up and coming around the table to him. She held his face in her hands, looking into his eyes. She was barely taller than him even though he was sitting down. ‘You’re wrong, you know, or at least partly wrong,’ she said, lacing her fingers through his hair. ‘Being a mum isn’t more important to me than anything – you and the kids are what’s most important to me. Don’t you know that?’ She leaned in to kiss him, and he drew his arms around her, holding her close.

  She slipped down onto his lap. ‘We have to find a way through this together, honey,’ she went on. ‘So no more heroics. I’m your partner, you have to share it all with me, the good and the bad.’

  ‘I was only trying to protect you,’ he said.

  ‘I know that, and I love you for it, but I’m not a child, Scott.’ She brushed her lips against his. ‘And I want to help, I want to get involved in the café,’ she said, breathily. ‘Isn’t there some way?’

  She planted a trail of little kisses all the way down to his neck as she felt for the buttons of his shirt, slowly undoing them. Scott released a moan, suddenly taking her face in his hands and kissing her urgently.

  ‘There’s dessert,’ Lexie murmured against his lips.

  ‘Later.’

  April

  ‘Rachel,’ said Lloyd, standing directly behind her, so close that the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

  She swivelled her chair around, pushing it away from him at the same time.

  ‘My office,’ he said, his tone grave, before turning on his heel and striding away.

  Rachel groaned. He was such a drama queen, so full of his own importance, even though he wasn’t. Important. She stood up and traipsed after him, past the rows of cubicles. When she got to his office she walked straight in and stood inside the door. He was already at his desk, pretending to be completely engrossed in something on the computer screen. He made a few clicks on the mouse and then turned to look at her.

  ‘Take a seat.’

  Jeez, how long was this going to take? Rachel sat down heavily, crossing her legs.

  He rested his elbows on the desk in front of him, lacing his fingers together. ‘As part of my constant and ongoing commitment to improving efficiency at Handy Home Health Care, I have lately undertaken random performance reviews . . .’